Category Archives: Health

It’s that time of the year—that time between New Year’s and spring. Whether you’re still focused on that New Year’s Resolution to be healthier or starting to trim down for an upcoming vacation to a warm location, a diet has probably crossed your mind. But did you know that dieting can actually contribute to weight problems?

What’s Wrong with Dieting?

When people diet, they focus on cutting calories and carbohydrates, rather than on their body’s needs. In other words, dieting often starves the body. And the body responds by slowing its metabolism. So now the body isn’t getting what it needs and it also isn’t burning calories very efficiently.

To make matters worse, the body can actually add layers of fat as it tries to fight the sensation of starvation. It’s no wonder that 70 percent of people who diet eventually end up heavier than they were before the diet.

What’s the Alternative?

Self-help expert Paul McKenna offers an alternative to dieting. In his show—I Can Make You Thin on TLC—he focuses on addressing mental hurtles, rather than counting calories. The idea is that weight loss will naturally follow a healthier mental state.
When it comes to eating habits, McKenna offers four rules:

1. When you’re hungry, eat. Hunger is different than a craving. Real hunger builds over time and sends a physical signal. That doesn’t mean that you should wait until you’re starving. But you also shouldn’t eat every time you get a craving or feel bored.2. Eat what your body wants. Our bodies have an incredible ability to let us know what they need in terms of vitamins, minerals, protein, and so on. Listen to your body, instead of those flash cravings when you see an advertisement.3. Eat consciously. Chew slowly and enjoy every mouthful. When you do, you’ll notice that you eat slower, eat less, and eat more variety.4. Stop eating when you’re full. As soon as you think you’re full, stop eating. Then, wait a few minutes. If you actually feel hungry again after five minutes, then eat a little more. But more often than not, you’ll probably discover that you’re not hungry after those few minutes.

McKenna’s overall advice presents a healthier attitude to food that just may lead to a healthier you.

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In case you hadn’t noticed, germs are everywhere! But while some germs are completely benign, even beneficial to your health, others can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and even death. But before you douse yourself with hand-sanitizer, check out these places where the sneakiest of germs hide, then follow the tips for better health and (almost) germ-free living.

What’s in Your Wallet… Purse… Gym Bag… A study performed by candy manufacturer Mentos discovered 33 percent of women have never cleaned their handbags—but that wasn’t the worst part. Swab testing of random bags revealed traces of deadly E.coli, Coliforms, Pseudomonas, and even fecal Streptococcus floating around purses, laptop totes, and gym bags. Aside from not eating gum from the bottom of your bag, make sure you clean the inside regularly with a steaming hot cloth and dishwashing gloves.

Oh, Baby! You wouldn’t think to look at them, but those cute high-chairs for babies can also be a breeding ground for bacteria; small wonder with all that food being thrown around! Weekly cleaning of the highchair with a mild disinfectant or anti-bacterial soap is usually sufficient to keep it clean and safe.

Who’s Washing the Washers? A study published in the journal Medical Mycology revealed 60 percent of dishwashers are a field day for fungi like Exophiala, Rhodotorula, and Candida parapsilosis due to the warm, moist environment inside the machines. The fungi may colonize in the lungs, causing infection, especially those with deficient immune systems such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis sufferers. Monthly cleaning is recommended: first wash down the inside with a mix of ¼ cup white vinegar and 2 cups water, paying close attention to the door seal; then run two empty cycles, one with a bowl of vinegar placed in the top rack and one with 1 cup baking soda sprinkled on the floor of the dishwasher.

Germs with Teeth. Season two of the Discovery Channel show “Myth Busters” attempted to disprove that the germs in your toilet can end up on your toothbrush. Unfortunately, it’s completely true. According to the findings, each time a toilet is flushed it sends an aerosol spray of bacteria-laden water into the air, which lands on everything nearby. If you want your bristles clean, the best bet is to keep your toothbrush in a medicine cabinet or drawer, and close the lid before you flush.